Billiard cue tip with a plurality of striking surfaces



Nov. 12, 1968 B. STANLEY 3,410,557

EILLIARD CUE TIP WITH A PLURALITY OF STRIKING SURFACES Filed Aug. 23, 1965 INVENTOR.

Leopard B. sia'nl y ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,410,557 BILLIARD CUE TIP WITH A PLURALITY OF STRIKING SURFACES Leonard B. Stanley, 103 /2 Western Ave., Wilmington, Del. 19805 Filed Aug. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 481,500 Claims. (Cl. 27370) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A cue tip is provided which has at least three surfaces for striking a cue ball. The surfaces comprise an are which conforms to the outer surface of the cue ball, being thus a concave surface and a second surface being a substantially flat inclined plane and between these two surfaces, a third surface which is substantially flat and perpendicular. Striking the cue ball with the latter surface is similar to striking the ball with the conventional, convex cue tip. Striking the ball with the concave surface affords greater contact with the ball and greater control than obtainable with the conventional tip and the greater the contact with the arcuate surface with a downward force the greater the back-spin of the ball. The flat inclined surface is an undercutting that allows one to make a lower contact with the ball.

Provided also is a ferrule or cue tip holder, which bears indicia in the form of arrows indicating whether normal or back-spin will be imparted when the one is held in a given position.

This invention relates to billiard cue tips and, more particularly, to cues bearing arcuated tips.

As is well known, cues for playing billiards and pool are generally provided with a tip that is entirely convex in nature. Such cue tips make it very diificult to effect certain shots. For example, it is difiicult to hit a cue ball that is up against the cushion with such a one and it is virtually impossible in such a shot to impart back-spin to the ball. Further, in many shots the conventional cue tip makes the control of the shot very difiicult, because one is contacting the convex surface of the ball with a convex surface and the contact is in a minimal area. Thus, there is a great tendency for the cue tip to slip sideways, downwards or upwards on the ball right at the instance of the striking. Such slippage, of course, results in faulty shots.

Thus, an object of this invention is the provision of a tip which affords a more positive striking. Another aim of this invention is providing a cue with a tip that contacts the cue ball over a large area. Still another purpose is the provision of a cue which has a multi-surface tip. Still another goal is providing a cue tip that can be readily changed from one cue to another. These and other purposes will be seen hereinafter.

The objectives of this invention are accomplished by the providing of a tip that has an arcuate, concave surface that conforms in its arc substantially to a small arc of about the same length on the cue ball. Also provided, in a preferred form, is a second cut and in between this cut and the concave arc is a small substantially flat surface. A cue tip of this invention is positioned on a ferrule, the end of which may have a threaded stud that fits into a threaded bore on the cue. If desired, the threaded stud may be on the cue and the ferrule may contain the bore. In one embodiment the threads are eliminated and a forced, sliding fitting is used or the parts are glued together.

The ferrules are preferentially flat on two opposite sides, these sides being in operating relationship with the striking portion of the tip to which each side pertains.

3,41,557 Patented Nov. 12, 1968 Thus, the side pertaining to the greater are on the tip will have an arrow on it pointing away from the tip to indicate that the ball struck with the given are will have a back-spin. Conversely, the other side, which relates to the side of the tip having the smaller cut and the flat surface, will have an arrow pointing toward the tip. This arrow indicates that the ball will rotate forward with the normal, rather than the reverse spin. The invention will be further understood by reference to the drawings and to the description given below, all of which i given for illustrative purposes only and is not limitative, the drawing-s being as follows:

FIGURE 1 is a view showing a cue ball up against the cushion being struck by a cue having the normal cue tip of the prior art;

FIGURE 1A shows the cue ball being struck by the cue and the cue tip of this invention to give the ball a reverse spin;

FIGURE 2 is a side view of a cue tip/ferrule/stud of this invention that fits into an appropriately threaded cue, such as shown in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 3 shows a ferrule/cue tip of this invention which has a bore that receives the threaded stud that is on a cue;

FIGURE 4 illustrates the force-fitting of the cue and ferrule;

FIGURE 5 is an end elevation of the device of FIG- URE 2;

FIGURE 6 is a front elevation of the cue tip of this invention.

As can be seen in FIGURE 1, which illustrates the prior art, the cue 1 has at its striking end a conventional, concave cue tip 2. The cue ball 3, which is being struck by the conventional cue, is up against cushion 4. As shown in FIGURE 1, the cue ball 3 will travel forward rotating in the direction of the travel, and it will have the normal roll. Contrary to that the cue ball 5 shown in FIG- URE 1A will have a reverse spin, as shown in the drawing. The one 6 of this invention comprises the ferrule or support 7 and the arcuate, concave tip 8. For convenience, the cue 6 is not shown in exact actual striking contact with cue ball 5. This is to allow one to see the are 9 on the cue tip 8. As can be seen, the arc 9 conforms to the outer surface of the cue ball. Thus, the surface in the striking has been increased and as the cue 6 moves down ward along a line of travel substantially indicated by the dotted arrow 10 the contact between are 9 and the curved outer surface of the cue ball 5 will cause the outer surface of the cue ball 5 in contact with arc 9 to move downwardly toward the table top 11. This will, of course, impart the back-spin to the cue ball 5 indicated by the arrow 12. As stated, the prior art tip will in a similar position cause only a regular rotation to the ball indicated by arrow 13 in FIGURE 1.

In FIGURE 2, an enlarged view of the device of this invention, the ferrule 7 is shown with the tip 8 having not only are 9, but at another location a second cut 14. This surface 14 is a substantially flat inclined plane, and between it and arc 9 is a section 15 which is substantially flat and perpendicular. Of course, if the cue ball is struck with section 15, the striking will be very much the same as though one used the conventional cue tip 2. This is so because minimal contact is being made. Surface 14 is an undercut and an inclined plane that allows one to make a lower contact with the ball. The rounded surface of the conventional tip 2 and the rounded surface of the conventional ferrule 22 prevents or limits low contact. However, with the flat sides of the ferrule of this invention and with the inclined plane 14 on the tip of this invention one can make a much lower contact with the ball. Also, the substantial length of the are 9 affords an increased contact in area and in time. This allows one greater control in making the shot. In making normal shots one will use surface 15 plus a part of the upper portion of are 9, that is, the borderline areas between surface 15 and are 9. The cue is in the position shown in FIGURES 3 and 6, the arrow 18 pointing away from the player. Here again, the contact being made covers a greater area than is attained with the conventional tip and increased contact time and control is achieved.

The ferrule 7 shown in FIGURE 2 has a threaded portion 16 that fits into the bore (not shown) in the cue 6. FIGURE 3 is similar to FIGURE 2, but shows the threaded section 16 being fixed to the cue 6. Accommodating this arrangement the ferrule 7 of this invention is provided with a threaded bore 17. For convenience in this view the ferrule and the cue tip 8 are shown with the striking surface 14 being in position to strike the cue ball and the arrow 18 is shown on a flat side of th ferrule pointed away from the cue stick or the player. This immediately informs the player that he is using a portion of the cue tip 8 of this invention which will send the ball forward in a normal spin.

In FIGURE 4 the ferrule 7 is shown in a striking position in which the greater arc 9 will be used. On the flat surface of the ferrule there is an arrow 19 which is pointed toward the cue stick or the player. This indicates immediately to the user that the ball being struck will move forward away from the player, but with a rotation that is toward the player. This, of course, will impart the back-spin to the ball being desired by the player. For convenience FIGURE 4 is also used to illustrate a cue stick within this invention that is fitted with a smooth-surfaced stud 20 that is force-fitted into a non-threaded bore 21 in ferrule 7; the two may be permanently held together by glue.

It is to be appreciated that the cue sticks of this invention can be made of any material such as wood, aluminum, plastics, and the like, and that they may be of a single length or made up of multiple parts that are assembled prior to use. Similarly, the ferrule of this invention may be made up of a large number of different materials including such polymeric materials as poly(tetrafluoroethylene), polyamides, polyformaldehydes, polypropylene, and the like. The tips can be prepared from cork, felt, rubber, polymeric materials including the above polymers and polyurethanes, leather and the like.

From the above description and the drawings it can be seen that the tip of this invention is somewhat rectangular shaped or box-like, one end of which, the striking end, has a plurality of cuts or surfaces in it. The major cut is a concave surface that fits a small, convex arc of the ball and that affords the major striking surface of the tip. Opposite this is an under-cut or inclined plane the highest point of which is near or at the unmodified end of the box-like structure and the lower end of which is nearest the central-most end of the concave surface. In between the adjacent ends of these two cuts is a substantially flat surface or a ridge. Further, it will be seen that the support for this tip has fiat edges that allows one to bring the cue tip down low, whereas the rounded edges of the ferrules of the prior art keep the tip up much higher. These factors make for great versatility coupled with geater accuracy.

The devices of this invention allow the billiard player greater accuracy in this game. Better traction is afforded and more Englishthat is spin, can be imparted to the ball. Mis-cueing is reduced. The ball moves forward with a greater speed due to the greater contact between the cue ball and the moving force. Further, one can shoot at a substantially angle from the rail or cushion with more accuracy, and the cue ball can be made to reverse, to stop itself or to return even from this difficult position. Further, it is easier to impart a curve to the cue ball. Finally, the most difficult shots in billiards can be made with much less effort and this increases the life of the billiard table cloth and the cue sticks and tips.

While the invention has been disclosed herein in connection with certain embodiments and certain structural and procedural details, it is clear that changes, modifications or equivalents can be used by those skilled in the art; accordingly such changes within the principles of the invention are intended to be included within the scope of the claims below.

I claim:

1. A one tip having at least three surfaces for striking a cue ball which surfaces comprise a first surface being a concave surface conforming to the outer surface of a cue ball, a second surface being a substantially fiat inclined palne and between said first and second surfaces at third surface being a substantially flat surface.

2. A one tip in accordance with claim 1 in which said concave surface affords the major striking area of said tip.

3. A cue tip in accordance with claim 1 which is mounted on a support having a flat top and a fiat bottom.

4. A cue tip in accordance with claim 3 in which said support contains an indicia, such as an arrow, indicating the spin of the ball that will result upon use of the coacting striking surface.

5. In combination, a cue tip and a su port therefor, said support comprising an element having a flat top and a fiat bottom; at one end a surface on which said tip may be mounted; and at the other end means used in mounting said support on a cue, said fiat top and flat bottom being respectively aligned with a substantially concave surfaceof said tip conforming to the outer .surface of a cue ball and affording the major striking area of said tip and affording a back-spin to said ball and said tip having a substantially flat surface affording a normal spin to said ball, and means associated with said flat top and bottom being indicative of the type of spin upon use of a given cue tip surface as a striking area.

References Cited 7 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,109,639 3/1938 Hawley 273-38 X ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner.

R. I. APLEY, Assistant Examiner. 

